Article provided by Rick Stoker

Ray Legg hails from the Ringwood district of Melbourne and so does his childhood sweetheart; Margaret.  

They met 60 years ago, have been married for 53 years and have two daughters.  Both daughters live with their husbands and children in Queensland; one in Broadbeach and the other in the Douglas Shire.  Ray and Margaret have two grandsons.   

Mr Legg is an Electrical Engineer, a Railway Engineering Consultant, Signalling and Rail Systems Engineer, former Design Manager of the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority, a Fellow of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers of Australasia and England and a past member of the Association of American Railroads.  

His work involved building train control systems, commissioning signal control systems plus road-rail level crossing protection systems. 

It’s only a year since he fully retired as a railway consultant, and ceased travelling down to Melbourne on a bi-weekly basis in that capacity.  

A former Scout Master, Ray played baseball for approximately 10 years, and has the rare honour of being a lifetime member of a Surf Live Saving Club: The Waratah Beach SLSC, in Victoria.

Ray and Margaret were introduced to FNQ when visiting their daughter who has lived up here for over 20 years.  

Around 10 years ago they decided that this was the place to spend the rest of their lives.

Since moving up here, community minded Ray has been voluntarily involved in several local organisations.  

He was the President of the Douglas Shire Historical Society for about five years.  

He is a committee member of the Port Douglas & Districts Combined Club (The Tin Shed) and has been so, for about the last four years, a committee member of the Neighbourhood Centre for about six years including being its President for the last two.  

Margaret is actively involved in the latter.

Ray is also a founding member of the Port Douglas Heritage Group, the Waterfront Project Advisory Group and the Port Douglas Commercial Fishermen’s Association, and is the consulting engineer to the Balley Hooley Tourist Railway. 

Additionally for about eight years, he’s been an active member of the Waterfront Project Advisory Group.  This has meant liaising with the Shire Council, State Government Departments and the owners of the Marina.  The WPAG won an award for proficiency by producing an excellent Waterfront Master Plan.  

Ray and Margaret have no intention of leaving Port Douglas other than for short trips, and expect to continue serving this community in whatever capacities they can.